More companies are becoming aware of the effects of business practices on society and are incorporating sustainable business methods. This includes the fashion industry, which is gearing up to fulfil its sustainability role.
Corporate socially responsible initiatives are making their way into the global wardrobe, and traditional manufacturing practices which involved processing textiles in a way that added to land and water pollution and were destructive to the environment are gradually being replaced by eco-practices that have a minimal impact on the environment.
Gail Taylor, an associate professor of the Institute of Textiles & Clothing at Polytechnic University (PolyU), said people were concerned about global warming and wanted to find some ways to exert control over the issue.
'Consumers are anxious to choose eco-friendly clothes - made from equally eco-friendly textiles - to reduce the impact of those chemicals,' Ms Taylor said.
'Most people are aware of the shift in favour of these textiles, but there is still a lot to do before fashionable and seasonal merchandise can be made more generally available.'
This awareness is drawing the public in, and eco-textiles look set to become a long-term feature rather than a passing fad in the fashion scene, with more manufacturers and retailers following suit.
'Many manufacturers see eco-textile goods as a golden opportunity to seize market share,' Ms Taylor said.